Portion of Mount Rainier National Park Closed Due to Fire Danger

Mount Rainier National Park has closed its northeast portion due to “unpredictable fire behavior” of the Norse Peak Fire, according to a press release.

The closed land includes the White River and Sunrise areas.

All trails and cross-country zones on the east side of the park including the area from Frozen Lake to Panhandle Gap, and all of trails with trailheads along state Route 410 and state Route 123 north of the Stevens Canyon entrance are closed.

The park has also listed a Level 2 advisory for the White River Campground.

“Campers have been encouraged to leave the campground and advised they should be packed and ready to go in the event of a mandatory evacuation,” according to the press release.

A level 2 advisory means people in the area should be ready to evacuate, and means the area is in significant danger.

Other roads closed due to the Norse Peak Fire include state Route 410 east between Cayuse Pass and the Bumping River Road and Crystal Mountain Boulevard.

State Route 410 traffic is being detoured through state Route 123 and U.S. Highway 12 over White Pass.

The Norse Peak Fire started as 13 separate fires sparked by lightning on Aug. 10 and 11 near the William O. Douglas and Norse Peak Wilderness Areas on the Naches Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

On Monday, fire growth on the Norse Peak Fire and nearby American fire forced evacuations of the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire had burned more than 19,382 acres between the Norse Peak and American fires and containment was at 8 percent.

For more information on the fire, go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5509/.